Energy on CrossGov.com

CRS Report on Appropriations for Rural Development Programs, Proposals for FY2027

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Government Accountability Office report examined appropriations proposals for Rural Development programs for fiscal year 2027. These programs are administered by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Utilities Service, and Rural Housing Service within the Department of Agriculture. Congress funds these programs through annual appropriations acts.

GAO Findings on RUS Programs

Appropriations for water and waste disposal programs administered by RUS decreased from $478.5 million in FY2025 to $445.9 million in FY2026. Loan authority for these programs rose from $910 million in FY2025 to $1.1 billion in FY2026. The President’s FY2027 budget requested lower levels for both appropriations and loan authority compared to FY2026. H.R. 8646 proposed decreasing overall appropriations for rural water programs by $385.3 million in FY2027 versus FY2026. Congress may consider the role of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending in project selection for these programs.

Trump Executive Order 14436 on Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Executive Order 14436, signed by the President on September 18, 2026, implements sanctions against foreign persons and restrictions with respect to persons from Russia and other countries. The order increases duties on goods imported into the U.S. from these nations, except as waived under certain conditions, in response to national interests identified by the President.

Background

The Graham Act, signed into law on September 18, 2026, allows the President to waive certain sanctions, restrictions, and duties imposed by the act. Section 115 of the Graham Act permits the President to waive these provisions if they are deemed in the national interest after receiving a written certification from Congress explaining why such a waiver is necessary. In accordance with this authority, the President has waived the application of these measures provided for in the Graham Act and submitted a certification to Congress that the issuance of this waiver serves the nation’s interests.

CRS Report on Decommissioning Offshore Oil and Gas Infrastructure, Issues for Congress

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

GAO found that, of roughly 1,600 platforms and 8,000 wells in the Gulf of Mexico at the time, more than 500 platforms and 2,700 wells were overdue for decommissioning under DOI regulations. Congress and successive presidential administrations have been considering how to address these offshore decommissioning needs and reduce federal financial liability.

Offshore Oil and Gas Decommissioning Challenges

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, in 2024, over half of the platforms and wells in the Gulf of Mexico were overdue for decommissioning. Many offshore operators have not fulfilled their responsibilities to remove facilities from the seafloor or plug all wells and pipelines. This has left federal authorities responsible for decommissioning some infrastructure, which can be costly due to insufficient financial bonds provided by lessees. Congress and previous administrations are looking at ways to improve how these structures are decommissioned, including considering less expensive options like leaving some structures in place.

GAO Report on Nuclear Waste, Addressing Legal and Regulatory Barriers Could Accelerate Cleanup and Reduce Costs

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

GAO found that the Department of Energy oversees nuclear waste cleanup at U.S. sites, which could take until 2100 and cost up to $840 billion. However, inconsistent approaches due to a complex legal and regulatory framework have led to longer cleanup efforts and higher costs. GAO recommends clarifying roles and better decision-making with input from independent experts to potentially address risks decades sooner and avoid billions in additional costs.

State Actions Exceed DOE Authority

Some states have taken actions that exceed their authority to regulate hazardous waste, as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). These state actions, which focus on radiological aspects of nuclear waste at Department of Energy cleanup sites, are generally regulated under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This has led to disagreements between DOE and states over requirements for radioactive waste management, longer cleanup schedules, and higher costs for the federal government. Courts have recognized that DOE’s authority under the Atomic Energy Act preempts certain state actions regarding nuclear waste during cleanup efforts, but statutes and case law are unclear on what types of state actions are appropriate under the law due to mixed waste at DOE sites.

License to Drill Act Signed Into Law as Public Law 119-134

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The License to Drill Act (H.R. 7831) became law on October 20, 2026, as Public Law 119-134. Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah) introduced it on March 5, 2026, with 3 cosponsors.

What the Law Does

This act extends through FY2037 the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) authority to collect oil and gas permit processing fees. For each new permit application, BLM collects a fee that is transferred to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund. (Under current law, the fees are authorized through FY2026.)

Trump Executive Order 14435 on Emergency Tax Relief on Diesel Fuel

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Executive Order 14435 orders the Secretary of the Treasury to defer certain diesel fuel tax payment obligations and provide penalty relief for farmers, truckers, and workers affected by rising prices due to global supply restrictions. The order aims to support these essential industries with immediate financial assistance, as stated in the preamble: ‘To that end, today I am directing the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to use his authority to defer certain diesel fuel tax payment obligations and to provide penalty relief to the extent permitted by law.’

Energy Department Offers Constellation Up to $5 Billion for Nuclear Uprates at Eight Plants

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Energy offered Constellation Energy a conditional loan of up to $5 billion on October 27, 2026, to raise the output of eight existing nuclear plants in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania. DOE says the work will add about 1.1 gigawatts, enough for more than 930,000 homes.

The plants are Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities in Illinois, Calvert Cliffs in Maryland and Limerick in Pennsylvania. Their power feeds two grid regions, PJM and MISO. The loan also carries an option to finance later uprates at other Constellation plants. Energy Secretary Chris Wright marked the deal with a visit to Byron the same day.

NRC Final Rule Lets Reactor Developers Use Energy and War Department Test Data in License Applications

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission finalized a rule on October 22, 2026, that lets companies applying for a commercial reactor license rely on test data and analyses from reactors already authorized by the Department of Energy or the Department of War. The NRC calls it the first major change to its reactor rules finalized under Executive Order 14300.

The rule amends 10 CFR Parts 50 and 53, the two rulebooks a developer can license a power reactor under. It takes effect 30 days after it’s published in the Federal Register, which the NRC expected the week of October 26. The proposal came out on April 2, and the agency received 136 unique comment submissions.

USDA Announces $8 Billion in Harvest Fuel Relief and $573 Million for Fertilizer Plants Weeks Before the Midterms

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

USDA announced $8 billion in one-time Harvest Fuel Relief payments to farmers on October 19 and about $573 million for eight fertilizer plants on October 22, both drawn on the Commodity Credit Corporation. Neither program comes from a new appropriation. Both use USDA’s standing authority to borrow from the Treasury through the CCC, the same route the department took for the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance payments earlier this year.

US Government News Digest for October 26 2026

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Eight days before the midterms, Washington spent Monday arguing about who gets the last word. The Justice Department is in federal court in Alaska and California trying to shape how ballots are handled and results certified. A judge in Manhattan told the same department it had no right to fire a career prosecutor the way it did. Two senators say the administration is sitting on a surveillance court ruling the law says it should have published six weeks ago.

DOE Uses the Defense Production Act to Fund the Constitution Pipeline and Two Grid Projects, Up to $242 Million in Two Weeks

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Energy has committed up to $242 million of Defense Production Act money to three energy projects since October 5: a gas pipeline into New York, a second power line in Alaska and grid upgrades in Virginia. A law passed in 1950 for the Korean War is now paying for permits and power lines.

The biggest award came first. On October 5 DOE offered the Alaska Energy Authority up to $150 million for the Beluga-Healy line, about 223 miles of new transmission between Southcentral and Interior Alaska. Today a single intertie, built in the 1980s, carries power between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and most of the state’s military bases draw on it. The project is priced at $418 million, a preliminary estimate, with the other $268 million to come from non-federal sources. DOE’s release cites the state’s big military installations without naming one.

Russian Sanctions Relief Exposes a Collision Between Energy Policy and Congressional Intent

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

President Donald Trump’s decision to waive key new restrictions on Russia has turned a dispute over diesel supplies into a broader confrontation over how American foreign policy is made. Congress approved legislation intended to increase pressure on Moscow, and Trump signed it last month. He has now waived important sanctions and tariff provisions before their implementation, while separately pursuing additional Russian diesel supplies. The backlash crosses party lines because the reversal raises an uncomfortable question: how much practical force does a congressional sanctions policy retain when the executive immediately chooses to suspend its central measures?

Energy Department Orders PJM to Run Backup Generators at Data Centers as 61,000 MW of Power Plants Sit Out for Maintenance